Dublin, and Ireland in general, have a reputation for being gay-friendly. The country's liberal attitude towards gay marriage culminated in a historic vote that made it possible for gay couples to get married in the country. Plenty LGBT festivals take place yearly in the country, including several Gay Pride festivals. The country's conservative stance towards displays of affection in public applies to straight couples as much as gay ones. But the capital of Ireland, the gay Dublin, has surprisingly few dedicated gay bars and clubs for a city that's seen as the darling of the LGBT community. The two you can count on being there the next time you visit, The George and Panti Bar, are more like super-bars than regular bars. The smaller bars tend to pop up and disappear quickly. It would seem like gay Dublin's offer of social and entertainment venues is lacking when compared to other gay-friendly cities. But things are not always as they seem. The gay-only, or gay-first clubs and bars are not the only venues in gay Dublin where LGBT people can have a good time. Many regular bars and clubs host gay-themed nights, ranging from karaoke nights to your ordinary (but fabulous) parties. Turks Head, The Hub, and the Voodoo Lounge are only some of the venues that hold regular gay evenings. The LGBT community of gay Dublin isn't limited to going exclusively to gay clubs and bars, or special gay nights. One of the characteristics of gay Dublin is its mix-and-mingle attitude - there are no gay neighbourhoods in Dublin, and gay people can live anywhere in the city. Similarly, there are few gay clubs and bars because Dublin has a lot of gay-friendly bars where gay people, straight people, and everyone who's in between can go and have a good time. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that gay bars and clubs today face a lot of competition coming from the digital world. People don't have to meet in person if they're looking for quick companionship anymore. But the nightlife of gay Dublin also has competition in the form of many gay social groups that organise various events and activities for its members. The people who don't find the charm of bars and clubs alluring don't have to go there to socialise anymore. They can join a gay book club, a gay sports club, a gay dining club, or any other of the gay social clubs that operate in gay Dublin. Simply put, there's a lot more going on in gay Dublin that just dancing, drinking, and partying, and the gay community has plenty of opportunities to enjoy itself. And when partying and dancing are needed, the clubs and bars that gay Dublin has will be there to provide.
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